Stealing mobile phones could just be deemed a petty crime, but not when you steal over 2000 of them. A man took to robbing several residents of Kanathur at knifepoint, was recently arrested by the Chennai police with cellphones totaling 2,240.
According to The Times of India, the police arrested Praveenkumar near a toll plaza at Uthandi after they received a complaint from a resident who was robbed of Rs. 1,000 at knifepoint while walking near Café Coffee Day.
Praveenkumar confessed to having snatched several phones by threatening people with a knife on ECR and Old Mahabalipuram Road. He had pledged the phones to a pawn broker. Police raided the pawn shop and found the cellphones.
As many as 2,240 mobile phones, one laptop and 10 tablets were recovered. The accused were produced before a judicial magistrate and remanded to judicial custody.
Previously, on October 6, police arrested three men for stealing mobile phones and laptops from job-seekers visiting the city. They robbed victims at knife-point on the pretext of helping them.
Police nabbed three men on a motorcycle near Anna Square and found 11 high-end mobile phones on them. 52 mobile phones, two laptops and a stolen motorcycle were recovered. They were remanded in judicial custody.
In March, the Chennai City police arrested a seven-member gang for allegedly stealing mobile phones in Guindy and Velachery.
Based on several complaints from victims of mobile phone robberies, a special team was formed to trace the suspects. Police also recovered 36 mobile phones and four motorcycles. They were remanded in Puzhal prison.